Young Kids

Many of us parents are busy with work responsibilities and the hectic schedules of our daily lives. Babysitters and day care programs can be expensive. So it can be exciting when your children get old enough to be home by themselves. You can save a little money, and you can be away from the house without having to worry.

So how old is old enough? There is a lot to consider when you are thinking about whether or not your children are old enough to stay home by themselves. You may have a lot of questions, a lot of doubts, and a lot of concerns when you are contemplating this.

First of all, there are many state laws which actually indicate how old your child should be before he or she can be left home alone legally. Make sure you check with your state to see what laws are involved and what the laws say about how old your child should be before you let him or her stay home alone.

If your child is legally old enough to be home alone, you may first want to consider older siblings or family members who may be able to watch your child when you are unable to be there with him or her. There also may be other families in your neighborhood that are able to help you out one day if you can help them out the next day.

If there are no friends or family who are available and if your child is legally old enough to be home alone, the next thing to think about is the child’s independence. Do they have the understanding and the wherewithal to make the decisions that need to be made? Can they understand basic safety rules? Will they know what to do in the case of an emergency? These are much more important things to consider than your child’s actual age.

When the time is right for your child to be left home alone, you will know. The most important thing is that you do whatever is right for your child and your family whenever it is right.